Columbus' Walkable College Neighborhood Is A Hub For Diverse Culture And Charming Restaurants

Once overlooked, in recent years Columbus has established itself as one of America's hot foodie destinations for its array of international flavors. The city's cuisine is reflective of a wider, and steadily growing, wave of diversity in Ohio's buzzing capital. And one of the city's most walkable neighborhoods embodies Columbus' melting pot approach, with diverse cultural hubs and dozens of charming restaurants.

Within Columbus' University District, you will find refined, one-of-a-kind Italian restaurants and historic pancake businesses sharing sidewalk space with hubs of avant-garde performance arts and creative hotspots. The seat of Ohio State University (OSU), the University District comprises 13 neighborhoods packed within 2.8 square miles. It is an incredibly walkable gem, with neighborhoods like Old North Columbus, Dennison Place, and Weinland Park among the most walkable areas of the entire city, according to WalkScore. Not just a place to soak in the vibrant collegiate atmosphere — or catch a Buckeyes' game at "the Shoe" — the University District is a de facto cultural hotspot, filled with museums, historic live music venues, and restaurants catering to different dining styles and tastes.

While walking and biking are two of the most popular ways to get around the University District, the neighborhood is also connected on COTA public transport to downtown Columbus and beyond. While in the area, it is worth straying from downtown Arch City to explore some of the city's under-the-radar, walkable suburbs full of shady trails and local shops.

The variety of cultural hangouts and people you see across Columbus' University District mirrors OSU's diverse student population, with more than 50% of its students representing a minority or underrepresented group. That diversity is also reflected in the district's culturally rich landscape and hotspots. One such place is the Wexner Center for the Arts, located on the main OSU campus, where programming spans artist residencies, film screenings, exhibitions, and performances. The Wexner Center is a 5-minute walk away from another cultural watering hole of the University District: The Newport Music Hall, which is America's longest continually running rock music club, according to PromoWestLive, first opened in 1923 as a movie theater.

If you are not in the mood for gigs or museums, there are many other ways to soak in the liveliness of the district. Studio 614 offers BYOB art classes for those who want to get creative; or you can catch a game of baseball, tennis, lacrosse, and more at Ohio Stadium, affectionately referred to as "the Shoe" for its horseshoe shape and inscribed in the National Registry of Historic Places. 

Another hotspot just north of the University District is the Columbus Park of Roses, a public garden with arboretum status tucked in Clintonville. As the name suggests, the park is home to over 12,000 roses of a variety of species and is a good option for a day out, maybe followed by a film at the local non-profit Gateway Film Center. The latter is located in the Gateway (formerly known as South Campus Gateway), a walkable open-air corridor that functions as the epicenter of a wide variety of food, shopping, and entertainment businesses.

Adding on to the vibrant atmosphere rippling out from the OSU campus, the University District is also an ideal dining destination. You can find casual spots to have a bite before or after an event, as well as more refined dining. For the latter, Pelino's Pasta specializes in fresh Italian pasta classics, and it's date night material, according to the local guide Columbus Navigator.

The district is also home to the Original Pancake House, a "must" visit while on the OSU campus, according to Eater. Their signature "Buckeye" pancake is filled and topped with peanut butter and chocolate chips, but they also make a wide range of savory and sweet waffles, pancakes, and French toast. Just across the street is another popular spot, Hudson 29, also featured on Eater's list of "essential" restaurants near OSU. More upmarket than most entries on the list, Hudson 29 serves modern American fare — think crispy buttermilk chicken sandwich, or cheeseburger and fries — as well as bistro-style dishes such as grilled tenderloin and ahi tuna tartare.

For a more casual mid-week option, Cazuela's Mexican Cantina is a favorite spot for taco Tuesdays, which they serve alongside Guadalajara-inspired cocktails and as many as 22 different flavors of margarita. Once you've exhausted the best food and drink spots the University District has to offer, it is worth checking out Ohio's craft distillery trail, embodying local flavor and Columbus' spirit.